6 Ways To Improve Your Men’s Cutting Skills

Still not confident in men’s cutting? Say no more, fam. We talked to Paul Mitchell educators @fernthebarber, @iliketocuthair and @megthebarber to get tips that will increase your male clientele (they ARE your most loyal clients, after all!) and give you more confidence when a guy comes in begging for a fade.

We grabbed these tips at the Paul Mitchell Gathering in Las Vegas, where 3,500 Paul Mitchell hairdressers and future professionals ~gather~ for technical education, business advice and major feel-good inspiration. In this close-up class, we got to see Fern and Jason drop knowledge on the art of barbering, plus how you can use MVRCK styling products to give guys (or anyone!) the styles they desire.

Products Used

Barbering

Grooming Spray

MVRCK

Barbering

Dry Paste

MVRCK

Barbering

Skin Tonic

MVRCK

Barbering

Blade Slip

MVRCK

1. Clipper-over-comb skills not strong? It could be in your comb—@fernthebarber recommends an extremely flat comb with very fine teeth. Thicker teeth on a comb can slightly overdirect hair and screw up your precision.

2. Low fade or high fade? Here’s how @iliketocuthair determines the final look:

• Dudes with a strong occipital should get low fades to cover that bulge
• Medium fades are versatile and good for anyone
• Guys with longer heads and flatter occipitals can rock high fades.

3. If you want to improve one thing about men’s cuts, focus on the outline. Why? @fernthebarber breaks it down. “You can do a super blended fade, but if the lineup is off, the client isn’t going to like it. And you can do an OK haircut with a nice clean lineup, and the client’s going to love it. We look at our lineup the way women look at getting their eyebrows done.”

4. Hard parts are intimidating, but here’s a tip from @iliketocuthair. “If a client has a cowlick, take the hard part to the cowlick so it looks natural.”

5. Fading is all about diffusing lines and getting a seamless blend. Watch the gif below for @iliketocuthair’s clipper motion to diffuse a line.

6. The thing about guys is they will do what you tell them. So get them to buy retail by simply suggesting two things—a hair product and a skin product, said @megthebarber. “Tell him, ‘I’m responsible for how you look from the shoulders up, and this is what I recommend,’” she said.

For example, explain how the MVRCK Skin Tonic reduces razor bumps and that the MVRCK Grooming Spray is an easy way to add texture to the hair. Then at his NEXT appointment, ask him how he liked the products. Then you can say, “Check this out, I actually recommend the MVRCK Blade Slip after using the Skin Tonic for an even smoother shave. And for easier hold, you can use the MVRCK Dry Paste after the Grooming Spray.” Baby steps are key—don’t recommend the whole product arsenal at once!

Want more Paul Mitchell? See how to maintain tone on platinum hair!